Current Dating Sitch: SUCKY

Almost all of my blog posts lately have had to do with travel because that's been a huge part of life lately. Along with running. And laying out in the sun. And going out. Yes me, going out lately. Who would have thunk it? After being an anti-social hermit pretty much all year due to my ridiculously hectic schedule, constant exhaustion, and let's be honest, a serious lack of desire to go out, I have actually been less rigid and more open-minded this summer and therefore have allowed myself to have some fun. And date a little too. (Mostly a little because I have barely been in NYC this summer.) This change usually happens with me in the summer and as soon as school starts, I morph back into my usual rigid, über disciplined self.

DC: Hot Temps and Hotter Security

This weekend I decided to treat myself to a mini, pre-#rayrayseurovacay2; I went on, shall we say #rayraysDCweekendgetaway. I just love making hashtags for these. #sorrynotsorry. But anyway, there was no specific reason I went except that I wanted to. With all the traveling I did last summer on #rayrayspacNWvacay I had racked up enough credit with hotels.com to earn a free nights stay in any hotel in the US up to $250 a night. Pretty sweet, right? Well, the offer expired July 17 and since I'll be in Europe then, I had to act on this before then if I wanted to use it. I thought about using it on a staycation in NYC but quickly decided against that. I figured it was only right to spend money to save money (as so many of us do) so I was going to use this and make a fun weekend of it. The only decision now was choosing between Boston and DC and find a weekend with no race or event. Well, this weekend was the only one, and DC it was. I've been watching a ridiculous amount of Scandal lately on Netflix so seeing all the beautiful the DC scenery made my decision super easy. Olivia Pope, I was coming for a visit. 

I tend to think of myself as a one-man wolf pack

Sometimes when talking with someone, you can gage if you two will click if you quote a random movie and they know exactly what you are talking about. Right away, you know you two have something in common, and usually its great taste in movies and a fantastic sense if humor. (Totally just described myself, natch.) Other times, I will see something that relates to one of these movies and randomly quote it and people will straight up look at me like I am speaking a foreign language. I am just being my usual hilarious self. Who cares if I am the only one laughing. It's funny. But I do love quoting movies and sometimes when I watch these movies I crack myself up by reciting the lines with the characters. (I know, so annoying, right?) And even though I have seen these movies so many times, I still laugh out loud when these lines are spoken. I don't know what it is, but they just get me.

Each of us has their favorite lines in some of their fave movies. Some of these quotes are totally random, and some are much more common. Some even make the movie if you will. They are that good. In my opinion, five of the most quoteably-awesome movies out there are below, along with MANY of my fave lines. (Warning: I got a little carried away and may have over-quoted. I mean, if that's even possible.)

1. Elf. Since its that time of year right now, this movie is on all the time. And I love every second of it. For a holiday flick, its unbelievably quoteable. And I even enjoy randomly watching it in the summer. It just leaves a smile on my face. 

• I just like to smile, smiling's my favorite.
• This place reminds me of Santa's Workshop! Except it smells like mushrooms and everyone looks like they want to hurt me. 
• I'm singing. I'm in a store...and I'm siiiiiingiiiiing! I'm in a store...and I'm siiiiiingiiiiing!
• We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup.
• What's a Christmas Gram? I want one!
• But the children love the books!
• SANTA! OH MY GOD! SANTA'S COMING! I KNOW HIM! I KNOW HIM!
• It's just nice to meet another human that shares my affinity for elf culture.
• You did it! Congratulations! World's best cup of coffee! Great job, everybody! It's great to be here.
• I'm a cotton-headed ninny-muggins. 

Muff was the "Tip" of the iceberg...Hehe

After writing the post "It's almost Muff season...Hehe" a few weeks ago, I was even more immature than usual whenever I heard the words shaft, box, nuts, balls, muffs, and wood. I would even try to incorporate them more into conversations to see how others would react. I love a good challenge. Then two weeks ago at a team meeting at work, someone was giving a science example about a beaver. I just about lost it. She said beaver, looked at me because I am the science teacher, and I tried to fight the smile, then the giggle, then the full out laughter, but I just couldn't. I had to put my head down and silently laugh to myself. Hard (Oooh, another suspicious word.) One other person locked eyes with me and laughed too and everyone else just kind of sat there. They didn't get it. Amateurs. She said beaver. Beaver. Like a vagina. Hahahahaha. I mean, c'mon folks. Hilarious stuff right there. Ummmm, okay, maybe not, but funny to me and my immature self. This of course got me thinking about other regular words that didn't occur to me the first time around that sometimes tend to make me giggle so I decided I would make yet another list of these double entendre words that crack me up time and time again.

1) Beaver. Already explained. It's not a word that comes up that often, but when it does, its pretty damn funny. It also makes me think of this scene in Naked Gun.

Our Terrifying Reality

In the wake of the Frankenstorm, with no school and unable to go outside because of all the rain and wind, what else is a girl to do but hunker down and watch TV and movies? This is something I really excel at so I can handle it. I was a little scared I would get stir crazy and lonely during this "Hurrication" and that did happen, but I tried to keep as busy as possible. During the storm, I online-shopped, Skyped with family, cleaned, had a one-woman dance party, and watched A LOT of TV. A lot.

On a very serious note, although I was happy that I didn't have to work, the last few days were stressful and scary. The stuff that was predicted about this storm was accurate and there is a lot of damage around NYC, Long Island, and NJ. Some of it straight out of Day After Tomorrow. I feel very lucky to have only suffered boredom during this horrific storm becuse so many others lost their homes and their lives. It's so unbelievably sad, that I am almost just too shocked right now to cry. Almost. You guys know me so you know I cried. Seeing the wreckage on TV for so many hours for the last few days is just devastating and heartbreaking. I have been to so many of the places hit the hardest and to see the wreckage is horrifying. No one really thought that NYC would really get hit this hard either, and once again, I just feel so lucky that because of my uptown location in the city, I remained safe.

I am a Halloweenie

Today is Halloween. It's a holiday of candy, costumes, and scary movies. Oh, and did I mention candy? I like candy. While most people love Halloween because they love watching horror films, I am not one of those people. I simply don't do scary movies. They terrify me.  I am what you would call a Halloweenie. I said Weenie. Hehe. Nightmare on Elm Street? No way. Friday the 13th. I don't think so.  The Exorcist. Not a chance. I have never even seen Scream because I knew it would scare me. Once, at a sleepover while all my friends were watching Candyman, I hung out upstairs with my friends mother. I already have a wandering mind and I don't need scary movies adding fears.

There are non Halloween movies that I have seen that still haunt me like Arachnophobia and Jaws so I try to avoid any type of movie that will instill fear or paranoia in me. Jaws is literally one of the reasons I will not go above my knees in the ocean. And against better judgement I once even watched Open Water. Bad idea. Nightmares. But anyway, you get the idea, I am a gigantic wuss when it comes to scary movies. So when Halloween rolls around, I tend to steer toward wholesome, family Halloween oriented flicks, most of which are happen to be shown on ABC Family on the days and weeks leading up to Halloween. (Yes, I am 30-years-old and do love this channel. So what?) So when Halloween time is upon us I make sure and watch each one of these at least one time. But usually I end up watching a few of them over and over again. 

Seemingly Gone, but not Forgotten

There are a lot of popular movies from the late eighties/early nineties that are cult hits among women my age. Movies that we grew up with and still love today. Troop Beverly Hills. Pretty Woman. Goonies. Dirty Dancing. Revenge of the Nerds. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. And the list goes on. These movies have continued to be popular and loved through the years and are still even on TV today quite often. They are also movies that I will watch every time they are on even though I own ALL of them.

Then there are the more forgotten-about movies that I use to also love when I was younger. Maybe I just forget about them because they aren't on nearly as often, but if I do happen to catch them, I get super excited! These are also classics. At least to me. Hopefully you have heard of these and know how great they are. And if not, you might have missed out a tiny bit in your youth. Its okay though.


1) My Boyfriend's Back. This was actually a made-for-TV movie, but I loved it. I actually bought it off Amazon last year and have watched it quite a few times since. This movie had a great cast: Sandy Duncan, Judith Light, and Jill Eikenberry to name the bigger names. It's about an all girl's singing group from the 60's that broke up after fighting and is asked to get back together for a reunion special in the late 80's. The music and the plot are so great (there is even a mini love triangle) and I highly recommend this to anyone who hasn't seen it.

Best of both worlds

 I have previously stated, I am a sucker for sports movies. They are often full of inspiration and grit (and usually have me in tears). I love it. I also love a good cliché teen flick. Good thing for me there's this whole genre of movies that happens to combine the best of both worlds. This happens to be the type of movie that combines sports and young adults focusing on both equally. I am not talking about Disney sports movies (Remember the Titans, Might Ducks, etc...), I am talking about movies that don't necessarily take the "G" rated sugar-coated approach but still have plenty of sports AND teen drama. These movies take the best of both worlds and come out with something great.

1. Varsity Blues.  Ah, Friday Night in Texas. This means one thing: Football. But this poor man's Friday Night Lights is not poor at all. It's pretty great. With superstud/horrible actor Paul Walker and Dawson Leary himself, James Van Der Beek as Mox, this is a winner. And let's not forget the famous "whipped cream bikini." This movie was a touchdown for sure.

A Sea of Kleenex

I consider myself to be a very sensitive young lady. And I cry often. I feel like a good cry is so therapeutic and really helps release a lot of negative energy that might have built up. Sometimes I really look forward to a good cry. But sometimes they just creep up on me. Two triggers that I have are old people and obese people. Sometimes I will see these two types of people on the train, in a restaurant, or even just walking down the street, and I will just start to burst into tears. It's a problem. However, if I am home and need a good cry, I have some movies that will do the trick. These aren't my usual sports tear jerkers, but actual tear jerkers that normal people also cry at. If I don't feel like crying and these movies are on, I will usually avoid them at all costs because I don't want to deal with the puffiness and red-eyes that will linger. These are also movies that don't just have my eyes well-up and tears rolling down my cheeks; they are movies that I will literally be heaving, trying to catch my breath and have a sea of snot-filled Kleenex surrounding me. Not a pretty scene. But like I said, sometimes I am not allowed to watch these (self-imposed rule) unless I really need a good cry session. And you know what, sometimes those are just necessary. So when the time comes, these are the movies that I turn to.

1. The Notebook. Duh. What girl has seen this movie and bawled their eyes out? And even some dudes will actually admit to crying during this movie. I don't know what it is exactly that gets me every single time, but it does. I think its the fact that these two people have found love so real and intense that it will not be broken by anything. Not even Alzheimer's. This movie also is one that makes me feel sorry for myself. "Will I ever find a love like this? Who really is so lucky to find a true love this real? Does this happen anymore? I want this. I will never have this." These are the thoughts that go through my head during this movie. Over and over again. Maybe its unhealthy I watch this. Maybe I should stop. But damn, Ryan Gosling, you give me a little hope so I will continue to torture myself and watch this movie over and over again. 

So Cool

Growing up, I watched a lot of movies. In elementary and middle school, I would watch movies about teenagers and young adults and only hope my high school experience would be like theirs. They were female lead roles in these movies that I wanted to be like. They were so pretty. So cool. Had tons of fun. Tons of guys. And just lived a great life. I wanted to be like them when I got to high school. These chicks were the shit.

Cindy Mancini (Can't Buy Me Love). Cindy was so freaking cool that she got paid $1000 by a nerd so he could hang out with her. He took him from "totally geek to totally chic". She was such a leader that just by hanging out with her, he became cool by association. She was captain of the cheerleading squad (something that NEVER interested me) and had her college football playing boyfriend. Her style was impeccable and she had a good relationship with her mom. And not to mention, she secretly wrote poetry. Girl was not one-dimensional. No wonder everyone wanted to be like Cindy.

Random Dance Scene, Yes please!

I am not a fan of musicals at all. Shows or movies where people just automatically burst into song and dance really freak me out and are not entertaining at all. I will either walk away or turn them off immediately. Therefore, I usually avoid them. I prefer movies that have totally random song/dance scenes that are so unexpected, that they are that awesome.  They don't interrupt the flow of the movie, but because of their randomness, they increase the value that much more. Below are my top song/dance scenes from non-song/dance related movies.

1. Revenge of the Nerds. This is quite possibly one of my favorite movies ever. And quite possibly one of the best music sequences in a movie. It's no wonder the Lamda, Lambda, Lamda's won the contest with this one. And yes, I do sing along and know all the words.

Hungry for the Games

It's almost here. March 23. Random date, huh? No, it's not anyone I know's birthday or anniversary. I'm not heading anywhere exotic on vacation. And it's not the day that I am certain I will meet my future husband. Why its the opening of the Hunger Games movie. And I absolutely cannot wait. I know, I know, I sound like a huge loser making that statement, but I haven't been this excited to see a movie in a while.

I was first introduced to Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games Triology last year by a good friend of mine and a student of mine at different times. On separate occasions both of them told me what an amazing series this one and how I must, must read it. They both explained what the books were about to me in their own words, and my response was "um, that sounds dumb. It's so not for me." I mean, did I really want to read about a futuristic world where people are voted in once a year to fight to the death for others entertainment? No I did not. And when I was at the movie theater a little while after that and saw the trailer for the movie, I straight up didn't get it.

Cliché? As if!

There are many teen movies out there. Some are realistic to a certain degree (Mean Girls, Superbad, American Pie) while others just ride the line of complete ridiculousness (See below). But what is the line that divides these two differentials in teen movies? Well, so glad you asked. First off, its the age of the actors playing the teenagers. Some movies don't even bother getting actors and actresses remotely close to high school age, let alone someone looking like an actual teenage. Also, the wardrobes of these teens often borderline totally inaccurate to what real teens wear to school. Finally, and most obviously, the plot of the movie and the predictableness (is that even a real word?) of it. Would any of this happen in real life? And that's a big fat NO. But that's what makes them so fantastic. Some of my favorite cheesy teen movies are listed below. Honestly, there were so many to choose from, but it was kind of fun making this list.

1. Drive Me Crazy. Not only did this movie feature one of my most favorite Britney songs, it had teen idol Melissa Joan Hart who was more well-known as Clarissa. The popular Nicole (Joan Hart) "shockingly" falls for her loner, but smokin' hot neighbor Chase (Adrian Grenier). They were childhood friends and neighbors who drifted apart once she starting becoming popular. In totally different cliques in high school, they come together again and end up falling for each other. Aw. 

"One for All, All for Poop"

Pooping is something very personal. Usually people like to poop with a home-court advantage. That is, in the privacy of their own home. However, things don't always work out that way and you have to poop in a public place. Whether its just a regular poop or explosive diarrhea (I have been in both situations many-a-times), you are still very self-conscious that there are other people in the bathroom. And guess what, they might be pooping too (or not). To quote a fantastic article I read from Thought Catalog, "Go for it. Poop your heart out. Poop like there’s no tomorrow. Poop like nobody’s watching. I mean that. I don’t care if it’s the biggest poop in the history of poops, I promise I won’t think badly of you." And that's the truth. We all know what its like to be on both sides of the stall so to speak, so really, why is it so embarrassing? Pooping is normal. Remember, everybody poops. However, there are times where your poops are so super-duper that you really don't want anyone around and that's understandable as well. Maybe they are worse than the scenes below, (probably not as dramatic), but hey, we've all been there...

Harold And Kumar This scene has two "hot" girls in the bathroom while Harold and Kumar are secretly in there listening. Both girls decide to take a dump and play a friendly game of "Battle Shits." I can't believe this game take-off nationally?!

Fa Ra Ra Ra Ra

I am Jewish. I was born and raised Jewish. We celebrated Hanukkah while growing up and I was lucky enough to get presents on each of the 8 nights as a child. Most of my friends growing up were also Jewish. There were the fair share of gentiles in the neighborhood and obviously the sights, sounds, and smells of Christmas were and still are everywhere, especially on TV.  (I mean, are there even any Hanukkah movies anyway?) There are so many Christmas movies out there, old and new, and I have my favorites. (I am also not ashamed to admit I have never seen It's a Wonderful Life. Sue me.) Some are very popular and on all the time, especially in the time leading up to Christmas. And some just come on once or twice right before Christmas. Nonetheless, I must watch each one of the movies below at least once to get in the holiday spirit.

1. A Very Brady Christmas. This is probably the rarest of the Christmas movies because it is on only like once a year. I search and search for this movie for when it is going to be on and I make sure to watch it in real time. It's pretty much my favorite Christmas movie. I just love the Bradys and their hijinks. In this movie, they are all grown up (everyone is the original actor and actresses except for Cindy) and they come together for Christmas. Priceless. (This is no particular scene in the movie, but a nice montage of this fantastic family movie.)

2. Elf. This movie is usually on TV at least once a week right after Thanksgiving. I can watch it over and over again even though I own it on DVD. Will Ferrell nailed this role as Buddy the Elf and it makes me laugh out loud almost every single time.

3. A Christmas Story. TBS made this movie even more spectacular by running their 24-hour of A Christmas Story. From the leg lamp to learning that your tongue will indeed stick to a frozen flagpoll, this movie has it all. There are way too many classic scenes to count but to me, this movie is Christmas.

4. Bad Santa. I first saw this movie in the theater with my family on Christmas Day (that's what us Jews do on Christmas) and all of us loved it. It's totally not a family movie in any sense, but because we all have a such dirty sense of humor (my mom pretends not to, but def does), we all enjoyed it and were laughing out asses off. How could we not grow to love little Thurman Murman?

5. The Santa Clause. This is another movie I can watch over and over again. I don't know what it is about this movie, but I really like it. I think its just Tim Allen. When I was younger, I had a weird crush on him even though he was a dad. Weird.

Honorable Mentions: Home Alone (and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York), Scrooged, and (The original) Babes in Toyland

We all have our favorite holiday movies and most of them are on the "25 Days Of Christmas" movies on ABC family leading up to Christmas. And if not, they are at some point before the big day. There is nothing better than putting on some sweats and hopping on the couch with some hot chocolate to get this Jewish girl in the Christmas spirit.

He's Just Not That Into You

I decided to watch the movie He's Just Not That Into You this past weekend when it was on TV.  Although I have seen numerous times, I felt the need to DVR it and watch it again.  I already know how true the title of the movie is and that it might as well be called "The Story of My Life" but whatevs. I also remember when the phrase "He's just not that into you" was first spoken on television. It was the episode of SATC when Berger was at dinner with Carrie and Miranda. While Miranda was talking about a guy she liked who she hadn't heard from, her and Carrie began making excuses for this dude. They ask for Berger's opinion on the sitch, and he gives it to her straight with the now famous line "He's just not that into you." Carrie was mortified and Miranda was enlightened.  It was some of the best advice she had ever gotten. Coming from another guy, Miranda felt relieved, felt a giant weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and wanted more information. Why had she wasted her time thinking about a guy who most obviously wasn't thinking about her? And why were her friends making excuses for this guy who obviously didn't like their friend?

This happens way too often to women of all ages. We meet a guy, we like him, we go out one or more times, then things come to a halt.  Instead of believing that he really just isn't interested anymore (because he's obviously too big of a jerk/pussy to tell us), we make excuses for why we haven't heard from him. "Maybe he's sick?" "Family emergency?" He's probably really caught up at work." "Wait, is my phone even working?" or some of the ones from the movie of friends telling other friends why the guy didn't call:

• "He likes you too you too much. You're too pretty and too awesome. He can't handle it."
• "I am sure he just lost your number"
• "He's not asking you out because he's intimidated by your professional success."
• "Trust me, he's just getting out of a serious relationship"
• "Trust me, its because he's never had a serious relationship"

I am guilty of thinking these or saying these to some of my friends (especially the first one), and meaning them.  I mean, why would someone NOT be into me? Or any of my friends? You are the company you keep after all, and I am awesome, so obvi they are as well. He can't NOT be into me. It has to be one of these things above and/or he has terrible taste in women. But the truth is, he really isn't feeling it. He doesn't like me. And that's fine, but its just a huge blow to the ego that straight up sucks. And its even harder for us when we hold on the idea of this whole thing working out anyway. I mean, I really this guy, but if he actually does like me, he WILL call. If we can only just be honest with ourselves and to each other, we would feel so much better. And we deserve that.

So why do us girls make these excuses for these guys? And why do our friends help perpetuate them?  I am friends with some intelligent, fun, smart and amazing women, but sometimes we get so caught up in this shit; we lose ourselves a bit. We actually don't believe why someone wouldn't be interested in us. It's like we need to hear it straight from his mouth which will never happen or just get that epiphany that Miranda got from Berger. That shouldn't have to happen. We know we are fantastic and deserve the best, yet we wait around for this guy or decide that we are the ones that are going to take the lead. Sorry ladies, if he really likes us, he will take charge and pursue us, not the other way around. It will happen. (At least that's what I keep having to tell myself.) Why would I want to hang out with a guy that doesn't reciprocate those feelings? I deserve the best and I know this so I am not going to waste my time with any excuses anymore. I don't have the time, energy, or patience for it. And I am better than this! If he likes me, he will take action. Period. End of story.

And if you don't believe that the dude really isn't into even though you and your friends are making excuses for him, maybe some random stranger on the street will set you straight.

I am a Cry Baby

I am a sucker for sports movies. I love them even though they make me cry pretty much every time, no matter how many times I watch the movie. Whether its a happy ending or a sad ending, I will end up in tears. (Don't even get me started about the "One Shining Moment" montage at the end of the NCAA National Championship game!) I could turn on certain sports movies with ten minutes left and just start crying over that. And I like this about myself. I don't find it embarrassing at all. It's a part of who I am. There is something about thrill of sports and the blood, sweat, and tears that go into it that gets me every time regardless if the story is fiction or not.

I am and have always been a huge sports fan. I played sports all my life and still continue to play (and dominate, obvi) in adult leagues. Sports bring people together. They build character. Instill discipline. Create camaraderie. There is so much more to athletics than winning and losing which is why they are so great. There are emotions that I have experienced on the playing field that are impossible to describe.  Ones that I will never forget and watching sports movies brings a lot of these emotions back. When I watch, I put myself in the athlete's shoes and experience what they experience because a lot of the time I know what they are feeling because I have felt it before. Below are some of the best clips from some of my favorite sports movies. I couldn't necessarily find my favorite clips from each movie, but did my best to find a scene that either gave me severe goosebumps and/or tears. Watching these clips alone made me tear up. God, I am such a loser.

1. Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault This is my all-time favorite sports movie. It was made as an HBO special movie and I highly recommend it. Its a heart-wrenching true story and the acting is spectacular. You WILL thank me later.

2. Coach Carter The end of this movie had me sobbing. Basketball is one of my greatest loves and the ending of this movie was very similar to how my senior year of high school basketball season ended. Heartbreaking.

3. Rudy Even though I despise Notre Dame, I absolutely love this movie. It would be even better if it were about a kid from University of Illinois. No joke.

4. Friday Night Lights This is the halftime speech from the State Championship game. Seriously, how can this not make you cry?! And if it didn't, the end will break your heart (I had to include it as well.)

5. A League of Their Own As a female athlete, watching this when I was younger was so inspiring and so fun. These women really were incredible.

Honorable Mentions: Hoosiers, Warrior, Hoop Dreams, Mighty Ducks (1, 2, AND 3), Remember the Titans, Miracle, The Rookie.

Once again, finding these clips was a lot of fun. I could watch them all over and over again, but would need way more Kleenex handy. Next time I need a good cry, I might just have to go to the archives of this blog to find this entry. Hey, it beats watching Marley and Me and The Notebook (my go-to crying movies).

Hey, do I know you?

When you live in one of the greatest cities in the world, its no surprise that many celebrities live here or visit frequently. I consider myself to be a very observant person so I am usually able to spot a celebrity right away on the street or in a store. Additionally because I watch so many TV shows, I can spot your most Z-list celeb and get excited over it even if no one else around hasn't a clue who they are.  What's weird about most of these sightings, especially the reality TV celebs, is that I will see them and think they look super familiar to me; like I know them from real life, and then come to realize that they are "famous." Then I feel really lame (for a brief millisecond), laugh at myself, and text someone who would appreciate this sighting.

In lieu if my most recent celeb sighting, which was incredible btw, (none other than the "Social Assassin" himself, Larry David) I decided to sit down and make a list the celeb sightings I have had while living in NYC. While some are better than others, I still pretty much turn into a grinning-school-girl-idiot when I see any of them. I will call or text a friend or my parents immediately which is usually met with a "Who is that?" but they can't steal my thunder. I do not however, go up to the celebrity and ask for a photo or autograph (what are the point of these anyway?) Us New Yorkers are cool. We are smooth. We aren't supposed to care if a celeb is in our midst. They're just like us, right? We are just supposed to pretend they aren't famous and it's totally normal to see them out and about, but I can't do that. Like I said before, I don't go up and harass them but I do tend to stare at them. A lot. Sue me.

Below are some of the best celebrity sightings I have had while living here:

Ray Allen- My very first NYC celeb sighting during my very first time in NYC. I was in Little Italy with my mom and Ray and a female were dining outside. I was in awe. I mean, it's Jesus Shuttlesworth after all.
Larry David- Walking right down 79th between Park and Mad just the other day. I literally stopped and stared. I had to pick my jaw off the ground and didn't know who to call first to tell. I don't what it is about that man, but he just cracks me up.
Diddy- I have seen Diddy twice now. Once when he voted on election day at my school (which was a polling place) and another in Central Park barking to someone on his cell phone. There is something about him that exudes power and arrogance that I just find so attractive.
LL Cool J- Also came to vote at my school. Licking his lips over and over. Me staring and drooling over and over.
Christopher Meloni (Det. Stabler from SVU)- Also came to vote at my school. He can arrest me anyday.
Denzel Washington- At my grad school graduation dinner/celebration with my family, Denzel was there eating a few tables away. Nothing like enjoying a fabulous meal with delicious eye candy on the side.
Jay-Z and Beyonce- These two were exiting their car and entering the very same restaurant that we were leaving and Denzel was still inside. Obviously that restaurant is for only the most important people (which is why I was there, natch).
Hulk Hogan- My dad actually spotted Hulk while we were shopping at the H&M on Fifth Ave and got so excited. It was adorable. It was my parents first time visiting me in NYC and they got a fantastic celeb sighting.
Uma Thurman- I literally ran into her at Newark airport. She had her backed turned and ran right into me. As I was about to say something nasty to her for bumping me, she turned around and I looked up and realized who it was. Ooops, my bad, of course.
Elliot Spitzer- For three weeks straight, I passed this man like four times running in Central Park. Whenever I pass him, I giggle because I am so grossed out by what he did. (P.S. he has the weirdest body.)
Charles Barkeley- My first year living in NYC, I was at the China Club (don't judge, I was young), and there was Sir Charles at the bar chillin' with an ugly chick. If he thought she was pretty, he had to think I was cute, right? Apparently not, as he didn't even glance our way.
Kate Gosselin- She was jogging in Central Park alone. She was wearing a full face of make-up which made me only think of her being even more ridiculous, but it was still cool seeing her.

Other noteables (and where I saw them in case you care):
Julianne Moore (57th St subway), Pete From 30 Rock (union square subway), Howard stern and his wife (jogging in Central Park quite a few times) Jason Hoppy a.k.a Mr. Bethanny Frankel (Running in CP), Bill Rancic (China Club with Sir Charles), Carla from Top Chef (dining out on UWS),  Star Jones (Dining out on UES), Al Roker (walking around UES), Ramona singer (and her husband Mario and daughter Avery on numerous separate occasions) (I see her all the time on the UES...I think she lives right by me... and yes, she does have CRAZY EYES), Countess Luanne (walking around UES), Martin Short (outside his building on UES), Allan Houston (visiting my school), David Schwimmer (Apple Store Soho), Chris Noth (8th St. subway), Téa Leoni (walking around UES), David Duchovny (on numerous occasions walking around UES...he must live real close to me too), Cousin Ari from Mad About You (Shake Shack UWS)

My array of MTV Real World/Road Rules/Challenge peeps:
Brandon From Fresh Meat (at the Frying Pan), Mallory from RW: Paris (Bryant Park Grill), Chet from RW: Brooklyn (Shake Shack UWS), Paula, Janelle, both RW: Key West and Darrell from RR (in Chinatown shopping for knock-offs. I guess those shows don't pay as much as I had originally thought.) 

While I am sure I am forgetting some, it was kind of cool to look back and make this list. There are a few celebs who I still would love to see in real life who live in NYC or are here quite often: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kelly Ripa, Tina Fey, and Snookie.  But if its meant to be, it will be. But for the time being, I will continue to bask in the joy of seeing someone from some random reality show.

We're Wilderness Girls and it's Cookie Time

I was a child of the 80's, and there are movies from that time period, and the early 90's that I still LOVE. They are movies, if on TV, even though I own them, I will insist on watching. Sure, I can throw in the DVD and get the whole version without commercials anytime I want, but there is just something special when one of my favorite movies is on TV. I sit there in my apt, like a loser, and can recite most of the lines word for word. My ability to recite the lines is a gift and I continue to impress myself each time.

Below are my Top 5 favorite movies in order, with two of my favorite quotes from the movie (it was too hard to pick just one) along with one of my favorite scenes.  There are obvious others that come very close to making that list that might be on your top 5.  Most girls my age will have at least one or two, if not all of these movies on their all-time list but we all have different tastes. However, if you consider yourself a friend of mine and haven't seen each of these movies, please don't inform me of this because it will just upset me and you need to stop reading right immediately and get them on your Netflix queue.


1. Troop Beverly Hills  
"Annie Herman, boy yoy yoing"
"Patches...we don't need no stinkin' patches"
I am also not embarrassed at all to know 90% of the lyrics to this beauty...It's cookie time:

2. Can't Buy Me Love 
"Who could beat a night of cards, chips, dips, and dorks"
"He went from like, totally geek, to totally chic"
The African Anteater ritual:

3. The Goonies  
"Hey...you....guys..."
"Pinches of power, pinches of power"
Lets not forget the famous Truffle Shuffle:

4. Dirty Dancing   
"Nobody puts Baby in the corner"
"I carried a watermelon"
The Final Dance:

5. Pretty Woman    
"Well color me happy! There's a sofa in here for two!"
"I'm a safety girl"
Sweet, sweet revenge:

I hope watching these clips took you back a bit to your childhood and brought a smile to your face. It might have even given you a craving to throw one of them in your DVD player. So go ahead, throw your hair in a side pony, and watch away.